Community Outreach update November 2021

Upcoming activity

Active Travel Team

  • Join us on Monday 1st November 7-9pm @ BfG West Hub for “Together We Ride” as we welcome cyclists and activists from Not1More and Permaculture Action Mentors from their journey from London–Glasgow by bike. They will share learnings and climate solutions from collective land-based initiatives and protest camps, as well as communities from across the world. With short films, exhibitions & a call to action. Info here.
  • On 3rd November from 7pm-9pm @ Civic House, we are excited to be screening Bikes Vs Cars, an award-winning documentary about cycling in cities and climate change. There will be hot ginger wine and spiced apple as well as snacks, and the event is free for all to attend. Civic House is wheelchair accessible. You can book your tickets here
  • Also on 3rd Nov, ‘Not1More’ at Woodlands Community Gardens will offer a Curious Commuter stall alongside their exhibition about resisting climate change. This is an opportunity to drop by and find out more about cycling to work, school, or anywhere else you travel regularly. There will be maps and information as well as drop in puncture repair tutorials. Drop by, no need to book.
  • Cop26 rides – we have 4 led rides taking place on 2nd, 10th, 12th and 13th from 2-4pm starting from different locations (South Hub and Civic House) taking the participants around Social Enterprises within the city. They have been organised by Cycling Scotland but delivered by us. Sign up
  • Civic House is open with many programmes and activities. Please get involved, especially if you live locally. See everything planned here.

Skills & Development Team

  • Spokes not Blokes COP26 Special – An evening of guided bike maintenance for women & non-binary people with an environmental focus for COP26! Sign up here.
  • Cycle lessons for New Scots – every Wednesday 10:30am at Bike for Good West, for new and learner cyclists, book via text/whatsapp to 07902967859

Health & Wellbeing Team

  • Sadly, the teams Pedal Pals launch event has been pushed back to Spring 2022, due to COP and various other complications, so watch this space!
  • H&W are building their legacy with groups they have worked with, and are busy organising an Essential Cycling Skills course, a Ride Leader Course, a First Aid course, and a beginner’s bike mechanics course for participants who want to take their cycling one step further. This will enable cycling to sustainably continue within the communities where the team has worked, without their presence!

Previous Activity

Active Travel

  • Civic Street Hub took part in Glasgow Tool Library’s Fun Day on 9th October, where they joined in with the mending theme with some drop-in puncture repair tutorials, & chatted to people about cycling.

  • Active Travel ran their first monthly Fix Your Own Bike at Civic Street, where this lovely vintage mountain bike got some attention.
  • The team loaned out 39 bikes and sold 7 bikes! And are going through lots of requests as we speak. Michael used the bike loan service:“My bike ability was good but I hadn’t cycled properly in years and I hadn’t volunteered in years. I decided to borrow a bike for 1 month, that quickly turned into 2 months as I loved the freedom of the bike and I also loved how much money I was saving.I became healthier, saved money on transport and I got to know the roads and directions better. I  became more confident. I now cycle every day and I want to encourage others to cycle, there are so many positives.”

  • The team experienced their best month for eCargo engagement, with 3 loans for individuals and families. They did 23 eCargo bike demonstrations. 20 Confidence building sessions and sold two eCargo bikes to organisations.
    The team successfully engaged with a local Mosque to promote sustainable travel. Now they are loaning e-bikes and Cargo bikes to try out for short journeys.

  • PCAT courses continue to be very popular with more and more companies requesting training. Since August this year, 70 professional drivers have completed the training.

Cycling Friendly Employer Update

This shift back to staff gradually returning to offices has seen the Cycling Friendly Employer Programme begin to really pick up. This has seen a number of new employers signing up and subsequent assessments of their current facilities carried out at their sites. This gives each employer an action plan with a number of points of improvement to make and recommendations in order to achieve award status.

In addition, many employers’ award status is now up for renewal after the 3 year award period. With a reassessment of their site required, this gives employers a great opportunity to further develop and improve their work towards encouraging active travel as a means of commuting, with the past 18 months greatly changing individuals’ attitudes towards this.

Skills & Development

Volunteering

  • 630 hours of volunteering contributed to the organisation!
  • 45 active volunteers, with most coming every week!

Maintenance
In October, the team had their first City and Guilds level 1 course with 4 students who all completed and are helping their organisation uses to fix up bikes.

Another Build Your Own Bike course will finish this Friday with BYOB’ers painting their Frames and all looking awesome!

New Scots
Fix Your Own Bike sessions continuously busy hive of activity!

They delivered a great cycle ride to the Red Cross this month out to Lochwinnoch!

Youth Project
October has been a solid month for the Govanhill Gears, the BYOB program has seen a number of young people complete the 4-week training schedule and receive their bikes happy in the knowledge they can maintain them.

There are some upcoming creative collaborations with youth projects, including Print Clan studio to run an afternoon screenprinting workshop.

Health & Wellbeing

  • Robin and Zain continue to work with their 1:1s as part of the Social Prescribing project, Ali has been busy project planning and securing funding for the next financial year, and the team have joined forces informally with Central and West Integration Network to get their participants signed up for the Bikes for All Nextbike scheme.
  • The team have been working hard with Govan Community Project (GCP) in the Moss Heights flats, and Clyde College Cardonald campus, and also with Govanhill Baths over on Victoria Road.
  • The Cardonald group are nearly ready to cycle to Paisley along the lovely cycle path next to the White Cart Water. The team will be finishing up with GCP and have loved it, and hope to support them into the future with the new bike fleet that they have just launched.
  • The team continue their work with Phoenix Futures Residential in Anniesland, and have started a brand new group at The Pyramid in Anderston, with some beginner cyclists.
  • They have also been working with Rowanbank Clinic at Stobhill Hospital, cycling around Robroyston Park, and building up to cycling to Lambhill Stables on the canal, hopefully this week!
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